An old Chinese proverb says “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand.” This is the crux of two videos which show us that learning and teaching methodology has changed irrevocably because of technology. If you haven’t seen the videos, take a second to watch how digital media is making sweeping changes in what students need in order to learn.
Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment
Digital Youth Portrait: Sam
Benefits to Technology
As our textbook points out, authoring tools, instructional design software, and graphic design software are among many new types of tools which help instructors deliver a learning objective in an interactive way. The advantages of using software to create learning modules is that computer-based training and education can be launched to a website and viewed or played with at any time. Assessment tools can help teachers and administrators know if the module produced the desired results. Another advantage is that this type of technology can be significantly cheaper in cost, without skimping on quality. I will point to my last post (Kahn Academy) as a good example of that.
Teachers Must Become Digital Immigrants
What Sam teaches us is that a new generation of learners is coming forward with great expectations to receive learning on their terms, whether that means their schedule or their pace, or their preferred delivery method. Sam wants to download an audiobook and be read to. It isn’t cheating, it’s her learning style. We as teachers need to be flexible in allowing our students to choose their learning method. This may mean that we must become digital natives ourselves, or perhaps “digital immigrants”. We need to know what tools are out there and how they work before we can conceive lesson plans and learning objectives which can be effectively transmitted through gaming and technology. It stands out that digital natives look to us to provide assignments that unleash their creativity in the learning process. They want to express themselves in alternative worlds with avatars and self-created characters. They want to be free to try something out and make mistakes until they master the concept. The gaming aspect makes it fun.
A New Expression
If we are going to successfully teach a new generation of learners, we must get to know their preferences. Sam said that she never calls, she texts. Sam’s mom says that she approves of digital learning and finds that it teaches measurable skills. Through Sam’s avatar on World of Warcraft, she is able to demonstrate artistic creativity, problem solving skills, and strategic planning. I can think of a few companies who are searching for those skill sets. “Schools Use of Games for Learning and Assessment” also says that engagement is a better way to learn. They said that games help us to start learning new concepts as novices and then through practice (trial and error or guided journey) become experts and masters of the concept. Gaming allows learners to integrate theoretical concepts into skill development. For example, a math problem on a chalk board appears distant and esoteric to the student when it is compared to demonstrating that math concept through a game design. In this way, students can immediately see the use and relevance of each concept.
Adult Learners are Catching On
I teach adults regularly and as I have stated in earlier posts, many of them are uncomfortable or even scared of learning through technology. But this is not true of everyone. Adults are beginning to view gadgets as more than toys and they are noticing many new benefits and conveniences because of digital media. They need a little push from us to fully grasp the vision of how digital media can help them learn. The adage, “if you build it, they will come” holds true with adult learning and technology. They don’t know they want it until they see it. Then when they realize that learning presented in a digital format saves them time, produces excellent results as they practice and master new knowledge and skills, and helps them stay up-to-date on relevant information for their jobs, they become more than supporters of these learning tools, they become champions of the learning tools.
A Crystal Ball Might See
What does the future hold for learning and education? It is hard to say. But one might wager that the format of a classroom might be changing forever. With about $5 billion, the United States could purchase a new iPad for every student in America. This represents a small fraction of the almost $900 billion annual budget for the Department of Education. If students of the future are armed with media tablets and the internet, will we need to print books anymore? I don’t think we will. Will every student need to be physically present in a classroom? Probably not. How will the role of teacher change? It remains to be seen. Yet change is here and we can be a part of the change, or go home.
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